Land reform, citizenship and aliens in Zimbabwe

This article examines the implications of the land and agrarian reforms on ‘aliens’ and its multiplying effects on citizenship and their rights in Zimbabwe. It also interrogates the contested nature of citizenship in relation to land, agriculture and the rights of aliens. This is premised on a background where a frosty relationship has existed between aliens and the government, making them victims of the country’s land reform programme. Settler colonialism is shown as having partly contributed to contemporary challenges and despite its demise, it continues to influence land and agrarian disputes between the government, indigenous Zimbabweans and aliens. It is against this background that this article interrogates and tells a unique story of inclusion and exclusion in rural Zimbabwe. The country’s land reform programme is shown as having had deep seated socio-cultural, political and economic implications some which are now only becoming evident now. The paper uses strong field based empirical evidence, adopts an interpretive life history research approach and uses the conceptual lenses of T.H. Marshall’s distinction of social citizenship (civil political and economic) to show how land reform has reconfigured rural social and economic relations. The article shows that in post land reform Zimbabwe, citizenship remains a contested issue and socially, economically and politically aliens are at a disadvantage and are failing to enjoy the rights and privileges which are due to them as enshrined in the country’s laws. The article concludes that despite the politics of inclusion and exclusion in rural Zimbabwe, aliens continue to positively contribute to socio-economic and political processes in the resettlement areas.